At ease

Message: having Ease at Work means I'm not wasting energy feeling
uncomfortable and thus I will likely accomplish more, but even if I
don't I will certainly have a better life.

Inspirational quote #1: "Why do I have to turn off parts of myself to
work here?"

Inspirational quote #2: " I got tired of riding the genius/shithead
roller coaster."

Ease != Easy

Ease is:
  * a state of comfort
  * freedom from worry, pain or agitation.
  * readiness in performance. facility.

He talked about Fun vs Joy, something I've also heard as Pleasure vs. Enjoyment.

Source of discomfort: the difference between awesome powers to change
the world and the limitation that this doesn't matter if other people
don't also do their part. "Can I learn to be ok with both the power
and the limitation?"

When feeling discomfort likely to do things like play "schedule
chicken", overwork, hide information, live with the fear of being
found out.

Things that came up during questions:

  * Hero/martyr syndrome is organizationally addictive. People who buy
into this behavior get rewarded. How do you maintain ease in an
environment that not only doesn't value it but sees it as weakness?

  * This view of the programmer as wizard is related to the societal
view of software as mysterious.  At one time phones were mysterious...
will that view of programmers as wizards go away when computers are no
longer technological innovation but just a fact of life, as unexciting
as the phone on your wall?

  * audience member (you are on this list and you know who you are)
story paraphrased:  "when I'm at ease I tend to be honest in my
estimates and not overcommit, not get in over my head. but sometimes
getting myself in trouble was useful. I miss that useful trouble."